John t



(No Model.)

J. T. WEBBER.

ENVELOPE.

Patented Mar. 2l, 18931.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. VEBBER, OF RED LODGE, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLESW. HARDING, OF SAME PLACE.

ENVELOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 493,847, dated March21, 1893.

Application filed September 29, 1892. Serial No. 447.313. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, JOHN T. WEBBER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Red Lodge, in the county of Park and State'of Montana, haveinvented a new and useful Envelope, of which the following is aspecilication.

My invention relates to improvements in envelopes, and the object inview is to prolo duce an envelope thatvmay be readily manufactured at areasonable cost, and which is so constructed as to be absolutely proofagainst opening Without its destruction, and without evincing evidenceof such opening.

In the envelope commonly used, it is a Wellknown fact that by theapplication of steam to the flap thereof the mucilage, or stickysubstance with which said flap is coated, may be so softened as torender the `flapeasily re- 2o movable, and such means has often beenemployed by unauthorized persons and pilferers for the purpose ofinspecting the contents of the envelope and removing them if desired.After the same have been accorn` z 5 plished, the flap could be readilyresealed and no evidence of the openingwof the envelope be apparent tothe receiver. By my invention, however, I propose to avoid thisobjection and produce an envelope having the 3o characteristics andsecuring the advantages set forth in the above, whereby the same isespecially desirable for `use by express companics carrying money, or inthe registered mails of the Government.

Referring to the drawingsz-Figure l is a plan view of the blank, fromwhich my envelope is constructed. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the endliaps being folded. Fig. 3 is asimilar view of the envelope ready foruse. Fig.

4o 4. is a similar View of the envelope sealed. Fig. 5 is a transversesection through Fig. 4.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

In forming the envelope blank I employ what I shall term the mainsection l, which is rectangular in shape and is provided at its upperside with the sealing flap 2, whose under side is coated with mucilage,or other sealing substance. The flap has its outer edge 5o curved in theusual manner, though its point is extended to form an elongated narrowtongue 3, whose free end, in the present instance, is folded upon itselfat 4, whereby the tongue is made double. The two adjacent sur faces ofthe tongue are left uncoated with mucilage, while the external surfacesof both the tongue and its extension are coated. If desired thisextension of the tongue may be omitted, though for purposes hereinafterapparent,

I prefer toemploy the saine. At the lower side 6o of the section listhebottom flap 5. The section l and the flap 5 are divided by thelongitudinal vfold line 6, and the sealing flap 2 and section l arelikewise divided by the fold line 7.

At each end of the section l, there are formed 6 5 side iiaps S and 9,which are divided from the section 1 by the fold lines 10. The outer,lower corners of these flaps 8 and .CJ1 are preferably cut away, asshown, and said flaps are designed tofold over upon the section l, and7o are of a width agreeing therewith. The flaps 8 and 9 and the bottomflap 5 are each provided with a transverse slot l1, which slots, whenthe said flaps are folded upon the section l and upon each other, allalign. To the flap 8, at the lower edge thereof, there is formed anextension, or what l shall call a guard flap 12, the same beingseparated from the flap S by the fold line 13. This flap 12 is greaterin length than the Width of the liapS 8o and is in transverse alignmentwith the slot 1l thereof. The surplus of stock in the Hap l2 forms afolding edge 1 4, which is provided with a coating of mucilage, or othersticky substance. This completes the construction of the' blank, whoseparts are assembled, as follows:

The guard flap l2 is iirst folded upward upon the end liap 8, afterWhichthe latterflap is folded over and upon the section l. The 9o flap 9is then folded upon the flap 8, after which the folding edge le isfolded over and upon the flap 9 and is pasted thereto. Thus it will beseen that the flaps 8 and 9 are secured in position. The bottom flap isnext folded upon the aps 8 and 9 and the folding edge. This completesthe envelope, and it will be seen that the slots Il in the three flapsall register and would extendl to the interior of the envelope were itnot for the guard fiap, roo

which prevents this. The contents of the envelope having been placed inposition in order to seal the same the mucilage surfaces of the flap 2,tongue 3 and its extension4 are all dampened, and the folded tongueinserted into the slots. Such insertion is facilitated by introducing apen-handle, pencil, papercutter, or other similar office device betweenthe tongue and its extension, and thus pushing thetongueiuto the slot.When in position the tongue adheres firmly at each side to the guardflap on one side and the iap 8 on the other, while the sealing-flap 2adheres to the exterior of the bottom Hap 5. It will thus be seen thatit is impossible to open the sealing iap by steam or other agencydesigned to soften the mucilage, as the tongue is guarded by the innerand outer layers of paper from the action of the steam, and any attemptto withdraw the same would be resisted to such an extent that the tonguewould tear before submitting to withdrawal. The preservation of thetongue intact will be evidence that the letter has been untampered with;while its rupture will bear evidence of tampering. As the slots occurimmediately at the junction of the tongue with the sealing iiap, andsaid sealing flap is held securely against the surface of the envelope,there is no chance of any mail matter, or other objectwith which theenvelope may come in contact, of becoming interposed between the tongueand envelope and accidentally rupturing the same.

An envelope constructed as herein described, is particularly adapted foruse by express and other messenger companies, as well as the mails, whenemployed for transmitting letters of importance, or those containingremittances.

Having described my invention, what I claim isl. The herein-describedenvelope, consisting of the rectangular section l, the folding bottomiiap 5, the side flaps 8 and 9, each of which is provided with acorresponding slot which aligns when the flaps are folded upon thesection l, the sealing flap 2 at the upper edge of the section l andprovided with a centrally extending tongue having a coating of mucilagearid adapted to be inserte'd within the slots, and the guard tlap 12adapted to fold upon and extending from the lower edge of the side flap8 and at its upper edge adapted to fold outward upon the flaps 8 and 9,substantially as specified.

2. The herein-described envelope, consisting of the main section l,provided at its opposite ends with the iiaps 9and 8, the bottom iiap 5at the lower edge of the section 1, and corresponding slots 1l formed inthe sections 8, 9 and 5, the sealing I'lap at the upper edge of thesection l whose point is extended to form a tongue provided near its free end with an extension, the outer sides of the tongue and extensionbeing coated with mucilage and adapted to be inserted into the slots 1l,and the guard fiap l2 secured to the lower edge of the flap 8 andprovided at its free end with an extension edge adapted to fold overupon the side iiaps and sealed thereto, substantially as specified.

3. The herein-described envelope, the front wall of which is providedwith a transverse slot, and the sealing iiap of which is provided with acentral extension or tongue whose end` is folded over upon itself andwhose outer sides are provided with mucilaged surfaces adapted to enterthe slot, substantially as speciiied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aftxedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN T. WEBBER.

Witnesses:

T. C. Ross, ROGER FLEMING.

